Bafana Bafana took another injury knock on Monday after central defender Siyabonga Sangweni was withdrawn from the 23-man squad to face Central African Republic in a World Cup qualifier. Picture: Etienne Rothbart. ORLANDO Pirates legend Siyabonga Swangweni has backed the Buccaneers to end their 14-year league title drought.
Image: Etienne Rothbart
Orlando Pirates legend Siyabonga Sangweni has praised the team’s competitive spirit and consistency this season, saying they deserve all the success they have achieved so far.
Pirates are on the verge of winning the Betway Premiership title. They currently sit second on the log with 65 points, three behind Mamelodi Sundowns, who have already completed their campaign. Pirates, however, still have two games in hand and boast a superior goal difference.
As a result, Pirates could clinch the league title at home at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) if they beat Durban City, ending a 14-year title drought.
Speaking exclusively to Independent Media on Wednesday afternoon, Sangweni reflected on the overall PSL season and explained what stood out for him most.
“I must say the league has been very competitive and exciting this season. No team was guaranteed to win the title,” Sangweni said. “There was even a stage where Sekhukhune United were leading the standings.
“Durban City have also done well. That shows the league is gradually improving. Sundowns also realised it would not be as easy as in previous seasons because every team was ready for the challenge, especially considering the quality of football on display.”
Having been part of the Pirates squad that won the club’s last league title during the 2011/12 season under Augusto Palacios, Sangweni was asked whether he sees similarities between the current side and his former teammates.
“The truth is they’ve played beautiful football. They’ve done very well, but I don’t want to compare them to our squad. That team was on another level,” Sangweni said.
“So, it’s better to focus on the current group. They’ve performed really well and deserve to win the title this season.”
Sangweni also praised the current crop of players for maintaining consistency throughout the campaign, while commending coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and the club’s management for keeping the core of the squad together.
“They’ve been consistent,” Sangweni said. “If you look at previous years, what affected our rhythm was too many changes. At the end of every season, we would not start the next one with the same group of players.
“This season has been different because the core of the squad remained together and they only added a few new faces. At first there were changes and we lost two matches, but the coach adjusted and settled on a core group, and that helped a lot.”
Pirates’ improvement has also been evident defensively. Goalkeeper Sipho Chaine recently set a new PSL-era record for the most clean sheets in a season (19) during the club’s 3-0 victory over Magesi FC.
Given Sangweni’s reputation as a tough defender during his playing days alongside Moeneeb Josephs and the late Senzo Meyiwa, he highlighted communication as one of the key ingredients behind strong defensive organisation.
“I would say they’ve all done well,” Sangweni said. “Communication is very important in defence because it reduces the workload on the goalkeeper. They’ve defended as a unit.
“We’ve seen the goalkeeper being vocal and constantly giving instructions. That’s exactly what is needed because that’s what the goalkeepers from our time, Moeneeb and Senzo, used to do. We never had time to relax.”